8 Unexpected benefits of drinking turmeric milk

This article is written by Sparkle Purpose. Follow Sparkle Purpose on Twitter and Pinterest.

Health benefits of turmeric milk

1. Turmeric milk can help to prevent cancer

Turmeric kills cancer cells and prevents them from proliferating.

Turmeric milk works as a furious combatant against cancer. Turmeric acts as an antioxidant. It reduces the oxidative stress that helps free radicals (cell damage) flourish throughout your body. This strengthens cancer development. Studies have linked the turmeric found in the beverage to lowering your risk of various cancers.

Turmeric milk also contains the chemical curcumin, which is known to kill cancer cells and prevent the growth of blood vessels in tumors. Keep in mind that this research is compelling; but it’s also limited.

While our chances of getting cancer in life are never fully eliminated, the evidence for turmeric milk lowering the odds seems very optimistic. 

2. Turmeric milk boosts your immune system 

If you are vulnerable to the common cold, turmeric milk might be great for you. Golden milk can have great benefits if you're suffering from a cold or sickness. Curcumin (an active ingredient in turmeric) contains plenty of antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties that fight against illness.

Curcumin tackles dangerous cells and foreign agents, preventing them from infecting your body. If you’re stuck at home with an awful cough and stuffy nose, try some turmeric milk as a healthy remedy.

This may interest you: 9 foods to boost your immune system

3. Turmeric milk helps to prevent heart disease

Did you know that drinking turmeric milk every day can help to reduce your risk of heart issues?

Ingredients such as turmeric, ginger and cinnamon all have links to lowering the chances of heart disease.

In one particular study, 41 patients with type 2 diabetes were given 2 grams of ginger daily. After 12 weeks their risk factors were 23-28% lower than before. 

Keeping consistent with our curcumin theme, the chemical may improve your blood vessel lining. People undergoing heart surgery are normally given curcumin. During your hospital stay, you are 65% less likely to suffer a heart attack if you consume the chemical.

4. Turmeric may lower your blood sugar levels

Some research has shown that golden milk ingredients - particularly cinnamon and ginger - help to lower blood sugar. While more compelling evidence is necessary for a conclusion, one study states that 1-6 grams of cinnamon per day for 40 days lowered blood sugar by 24% and lowered cholesterol by 18%. 

This may interest you: 8 techniques to lower blood pressure

Turmeric may also reduce insulin resistance. Cinnamon reduces the glucose level absorbed in your gut after eating. Adding ginger to your diet helps lower your blood sugar by about 12%.

While it may have these benefits, you need to make sure that your golden milk is unsweetened. Certain brands contain honey and maple syrup. For the best chances of lowering blood sugar, stay away from those ingredients.

5. Turmeric milk detoxifies your liver  

If you suffer from an unhealthy liver, turmeric milk might be able to improve your condition. It is important for your liver to cleanse itself regularly. Drinking golden milk will cleanse the liver of toxins. It prevents toxins from damaging the liver.

Turmeric milk will also help to prevent fatty acids and other harmful chemicals from building up in your liver. This purifies your body and enables you to process food better without building up the toxins that are left behind.

6. Turmeric milk has powerful anti-inflammatory properties

Golden milk can reduce inflammation in the body. Reducing inflammation can reduce your chances of developing arthritis, pancreatitis and bowel disease. Inflammation also plays a major role in heart disease, Alzheimer's and cancer.

If you make turmeric milk a regular part of your diet, you will most likely see a reduction in overall inflammation.

Studies have shown that consuming about 500 mg of curcumin (three times daily) has the same effect as 50 mg (twice daily) of regular arthritis medication. Turmeric milk has a better effect on osteoarthritis patients than placebo medication given out by doctors. Golden milk works by blocking certain enzymes that allow inflammation to take place.

7. Turmeric milk improves your mood 

Is there anything that curcumin can’t do at this point?

Do you feel depressed? Curcumin can most likely help you with that. While the jury is still technically out, research points towards golden milk improving your overall mood. 

During a study on 60 participants with depression, curcumin reduced depressive symptoms with the same effects as regular antidepressants. Other research links depression with inflammation. 

The curcumin goes to work fighting free radicals, preventing inflammation and reducing oxidative stress. More research needs to be done, but if you’re experiencing mental health issues, drinking a glass of golden milk won’t hurt.

8. Turmeric milk improves your memory 

Things don’t just stop at the mood-enhancing benefits of turmeric milk. Turmeric has plenty of other healthy effects on brain function. While current research is still uncertain, there is reason to believe that the ingredients of golden milk improve your memory and state of alertness. 

Curcumin can increase your levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). 50 mg/kg increased BDNF by 78% while 100 mg/kg increase BDNF levels by 95% in this study.

This helps your brain connect and grow new brain cells. If you are suffering from low BDNF, you may be vulnerable to memory loss.

The cinnamon in turmeric milk fights against the buildup of tau protein. This protein is crucial for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Considering that an estimated 5.8 million Americans are living with this horrible condition, a drink that fights against it is exciting news.

Ginger also improves brain function and enhances memory.

You might find this interesting: Hot water helps with weight loss.

This article is written by Sparkle Purpose. Follow Sparkle Purpose on Twitter and Pinterest. Check out their article on 15 foods highly rich in calcium.

Exercise reduces inflammation

Exercise can lower inflammation.

Inflammation causes almost all modern diseases

Inflammation seems to be the cause of all degenerative diseases like cancer, diabetes, coronary artery disease and Alzheimer's.

For the majority of our readers who won't check out the validity of the above link, the source comes directly from the Harvard Health Medical Website. I would recommend giving the article a read-through if you want a more detailed, scientific explanation about how inflammation causes the four diseases mentioned above.

Current research points us to the fact that inflammation could cause almost all non-communicable diseases.

Inflammation starts off as the immune response to an issue within the body. Science discovers different pathways that inflammation uses to affect our physical state almost every day.

Inflammation at healthy levels is actually good for you. It protects you from infections and prevents you from hurting yourself even more when you scrape your knee or overdo it at the gym. This refers to acute inflammation because it comes when it is needed and goes when its job is done.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is not healthy. It is basically an inflammatory response that doesn't switch off. It's always on.

This has many, various, detrimental effects on the body. The body can't enter a solid state of rest and recovery to heal from the inflammation and return to normal. Inflammation can cause the body to attack its own tissues - like in the case with autoimmune diseases.

Chronic inflammation is like a war the never stops - even when there aren't any bad guys to fight.

Chronic inflammation is unhealthy.

Exercise reduces inflammation

One of the many benefits of exercise is its ability to reduce chronic inflammation. Inflammation goes down as soon as you start exercise - regardless of the intensity or duration. A light, 5 minute stroll is enough to reduce chronic inflammation to some degree.

The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise increase with intensity and duration. A light, 5 minute stroll might decrease your total inflammation; but a faster walking pace at 10 or 15 minutes will be even better. 

Your body will improve its natural ability to reduce inflammation as your over fitness level improves.

This fitness challenge is a fantastic way to enhance your total fitness levels within 30 days.

The benefits start on the first minute.

20 Minutes of moderate exercise reduces inflammation by 5%

Exercise is shown to suppress the inflammatory response in this study.

Researchers found that 20 minutes of moderate exercise on a treadmill lead to a 5% decrease in inflammation.

How does exercise reduce inflammation?

1. Exercise lowers inflammation by activating the sympathetic nervous system.

2. Exercise suppresses inflammation by stimulating epinephrine (adrenaline) and nor-epinephrine.

There are different explanations to why exercise lowered inflammation, according to the above study.

Too much rest will kill you.

1. Exercise lowers inflammation by activating the sympathetic nervous system

Exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system, which then down-regulates the inflammatory response.

It makes sense that your body would spend less energy on internal battles if there are external battles to face instead. You can't run away from a lion or chase down your next meal if most of your energy is tied up with internal processes.

This might explain why exercise lowers inflammation in the long term - living organisms need to fight for survival. If there is no external fight for survival, your body could bring the fight inwards.

Inflammation is part of the body's healing and repairing process. This happens when we aren't spending vital energy on other external activities. Too much time without physical challenges or physical activity may, theoretically, put us in the parasympathetic (resting) state for so long that the body ends up creating issues of its own.

It's as if the pendulum swings too far in the opposite direction without physical activity to balance out extended periods of rest.

Maintain balance.

2. Exercise suppresses inflammation via adrenergic receptors

Test tube studies (as per the above study) observe that epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and nor-epinephrine prevent TNF (inflammatory molecules).

The study discusses how adrenergic receptors prohibit inflammation via exercise. Adrenergic receptors refer to the way that the body uses neurotransmitters like adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Inflammation is a natural part of immune function. The body produces inflammatory cells to protect itself against pathogens that cause disease. 

These inflammatory cells declare a state of war throughout the body so that your tissues become inhabitable by germs. The problem is that healthy cells will also die off if this inflammatory state goes too far.

Exercise stops the production of these inflammatory cells, and one of the ways that it does this is through adrenergic receptors. 

Exercise increases your body's need for physical energy. Hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline are up-regulated in order to create this physical energy. This lowers inflammation.

In order for physical energetic processes to switch on, other processes need to be switched off. This maintains a state of balance in your body - like how you only shiver when you are cold and you only sweat when you are hot. You only produce certain inflammatory cells when you are at rest.

Your body won't produce certain inflammatory cells when adrenergic receptors are stimulated. When adrenergic receptors are stimulated, inflammation is turned off so that more energy is dedicated to performing whatever physical task needs to get done.

If adrenergic receptors aren't stimulated through exercise often enough, inflammatory pathways are turned on for too long. This leads to an accumulation of inflammation that causes disease.

Exercise more. Suffer less.

Cold therapy can increase the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise

It is interesting to see that epinephrine production (from exercise) scientifically suppresses inflammation.

This explains why cold therapy is so effective at speeding up muscle recovery (because cold temperatures trigger epinephrine release as well).

You can therefore increase your anti-inflammatory efforts by adding cold therapy to your exercise regime. Stay Strong!

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Wheat or gluten can trigger asthma and allergies

I cured my asthma.

My asthmatic symptoms and allergies disappear as soon as I stop eating wheat

A few months ago, I developed a runny nose that didn't go away. It soon migrated to my chest and I had trouble breathing later at night or early in the morning. This lasted for about 5 or 6 months.

I tried many things to address the cause and heal the issue. I tried clearing away as much dust from my room as possible. My bed was cleaned to remove dust mites (which can cause allergic reactions, wheezing and difficulty breathing).

Recently, I tried a 4 four day water fast to see if that would cure my asthmatic symptoms. Fasting is known to alleviate a variety of diseases, like allergies and asthma, and improve overall health. I had no allergic reactions or breathing problems during the fast, but they came back within 12 hours after I started eating again. Bread was one of the first things that I ate when I broke my fast.

I finally found my solution.

A friend of mine suggested that I could possibly have gluten sensitivity. Gluten is not necessarily bad for you unless you are sensitive or allergic to it. I kept this idea (along with many other suggestions) at the back of my mind as I figured out which theory I wanted to test out next.

I wanted to save this one for the last of my experiments because I would have to test out a whole range of foods that cause allergic reactions like wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, soy and seafood.

One night I had diarrhea and bloody stool hours after eating a large meal that was predominantly wheat-based. I decided to cut out wheat and see what happened.

I had absolutely no breathing difficulty or allergic reactions within 24 hours of abstaining from foods that have wheat in them.

This was true for three whole days before I ate wheat again. True to form, I woke up in the middle of the night last night with breathing difficulties - hours after I had a meal with wheat.

It isn't nice to face the fact that I have to cut out wheat from my diet (which is in almost everything), but it is also really nice to know that I have finally found the solution.

Trial and error finally paid off.

Wheat sensitivity causes allergies and asthma

Wheat allergy can cause the following symptoms:

1. Swelling
2. Itching
3. Inflamed mouth and throat
4. Skin problems like hives, rashes and swelling
5. Nasal congestion
6. Runny nose
7. Headaches
8. Asthmatic symptoms
9. Cramps
10. Nausea
11. Vomiting
12. Diarrhea
13. Anaphylaxis

I have had eczema from childhood. You can get eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and skin conditions from wheat sensitivity. It would be awesome if my eczema resolves itself when I cut out wheat!

The symptoms on this list that I personally experienced were skin problems (eczema), itching, nasal congestion, runny nose and nasal congestion, asthmatic symptoms and diarrhea when I ate a lot of wheat.

Since the diarrhea happened hours after the consumption of wheat, I would never assume that it was the wheat that caused it. This could mean that my poor body has had to deal with wheat consumption and the inflamed response on a regular basis for years and years.

The effects can start hours later.

How does wheat trigger allergies, asthma, skin conditions and other diseases?

Let me start off by saying that wheat is not the problem - it's your body's reaction to wheat. Some people can eat wheat without any issues. This is only applicable to people with sensitivity to wheat. You should avoid wheat for a few days and see if your condition improves. If it does, you have found the culprit.

Wheat can cause inflammation in people with a leaky gut

The connection between leaky gut and inflammation

Good bacteria maintain a healthy gut lining. Bad gut bacteria (and other pathogenic microbes) can damage the wall inside your colon. Lack of good bacteria can also cause a damaged intestinal wall.

A healthy gut lining should have lots of small holes that allow digested nutrients to pass into the blood stream. When this wall is damaged, the holes are bigger than they should be. This allows larger food particles to get through.

One of the larger food particles can be the gluten in wheat.

Cells can't absorb gluten before is it broken down into usable nutrients, so your immune system is activated to escort the unusable food out of the blood stream.

Wheat therefore causes an immune response. When this happens regularly, the immune system is permanently switched on. This leads to a hyperactive immune system that attacks everything in sight.

In my case, it lead to breathing problems as inflammation affected my lungs and skin problem as inflammation prevented my skin from working properly.

Many diseases start in the gut.

Signs of inflammation:

Signs of inflammation are:

1. Autoimmune diseases
2. Diabetes
3. Metabolic syndrome
4. Heart disease
5. Obesity
6. Pain
7. Redness
8. Loss of function in a particular body part
9. Swelling
10. Heat
11. Fatigue and low energy
12. Feeling unwell
13. Fever
14. Cardiovascular disease
15. Arthritis and other joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
16. Allergies
17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (difficulty breathing) and asthma
18. Psoriasis
19. Cancer
20. Depression
21. Insomnia
22. Heightened stress response
23. Ulcer
24. Hay fever
25. Atherosclerosis
26. Gum disease
27. Dermatitis and eczema
28. Blood vessel inflammation
29. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
30. Lupus
31. Hepatitis

Diseases caused by inflammation

As you can see, inflammation affects every part of the body. Inflammation from the immune response to wheat personally gave me the following symptoms:

1. Allergies
2. Runny nose
3. Difficulty breathing
4. Eczema

I haven't had any allergic reactions, sinus or difficulty breathing since I cut out wheat. I still have relatively dry skin - this might take longer to clear up.

If you suspect that inflammation is causing disease in your own body, work with a medical practitioner to find the cause. Stay Strong!

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Day 4 (96 hours) into my fast

These are the results of my fast so far - 4 days into it.

Fasting disclaimer

The information on this page is not intended as medical advice in any way. I simply share my own, personal experience with fasting for anecdotal reasons. If you want to fast for an extended period of time, I recommend that you check in with a medical practitioner before attempting to do so.

See the results below.

How much weight can you lose on 4 day water fast?

I weighed 69 kg (152 pounds) at the end of day 4. I weighed 68.5 kg (151 pounds) at the end of my third day of fasting. I weighed 73.5 kg (162 pounds) right at the beginning of my fast. This means that I went down from a 5 kg (11 pounds) loss to a 4.5 kg (10 pounds) loss.

I am glad about this because it means that my body has absorbed more water and my blood pressure is starting to rise after falling so low initially.

Most people lose an average of a pound of fat for every day of fasting. You can find the reference to that fact on the results page from my first day of fasting (linked below).

I am not fasting for weight loss. I am doing it in an attempt to heal my asthma and allergies. My symptoms have almost completely disappeared and I haven't taken an antihistamine since before I started my fast.

Fasting helps your body to heal.

Should you exercise before a fast?

I fasted for 36 hours and 44.5 hours before I felt like I couldn't continue anymore. I exercised like normal leading up to these two fasts. On this current fast, I didn't exercise for 5 days leading up to my fast and I've already fasted for more than double of my previous fasts.

I think that this is one of the many reasons why I was able to go on for so long without giving up. My theory is that exercise placed an energetic drain on the body, and that you will then enter into your fast with sub-optimal energy levels. This then decreases the amount of energetic strain that your body can take before it depletes its sugar stores and finally moves over to fat for energy.

Should you exercise during a fast?

I would definitely exercise during a shorter fast (24 hours or less). Our bodies are much stronger than we realize. If we started to deteriorate so shortly into a fast, the human race would not have been able to survive before the farming era.

Should you exercise during a prolonged fast (2 days or more)?

The documentary that I linked to on my first day's report shows fasting clinics that encourage their patients to exercise - and they fast for very long periods of time (up to 40 days at a time).

I haven't done any exercise so far. I am currently waiting until I feel strong enough (and have enough energy) to do so.

I chose to rest until I am ready.

Energy levels during a fast

My energy levels have been better than the first three days. They aren't at their normal levels yet (I need to motivate myself to write this blog post). I get winded easily and find myself needing to catch my breath often.

The weird part is that I get a little energized whenever I move around. I have energy similar to a caffeine buzz when I drive somewhere in the car or when I walk around for whatever reason. It is very possible that a little exercise would coax my body further into ketosis and therefore give me more energy. I might try this theory tomorrow and see what happens.

Fasting for better eyesight

I am actually fasting for my allergies and asthma, but I only noticed today that I haven't had any eye strain at all since the beginning of my fast (4 days ago). It seems that my eyes are stronger and can take more screen time during a fast.

This effect might be similar to the fact that fasting protects healthy cells from chemotherapy. Fasting most probably protects the cells in the eyes from damage in a similar way.

Does sleep return to normal during a fast?

I slept horribly the first night of fasting. I slept deep and fully on the second night. I didn't sleep so well on the third night. I supplemented with magnesium and I slept much better afterwards. This lady who documented her 54 day water fast with daily videos also had some nights where sleep was amazing and other nights where good sleep was hard to come by.

Similar to her notes, I find that I sleep better when my electrolyte levels are in the right balance.

It's okay to stress your body occasionally.

Emotional benefits of fasting

I have definitely felt more relaxed and at peace yesterday (day 3) and today (day 4). Previous mental stresses and anxieties have gone away. I have much less anger and frustration towards the people around me. At the same time, I am much less worried about what other people think about me.

This guy had the exact same emotional effect during his 21 day fast. He explains that he didn't worry about what people thought about him anymore. It was like a mental enlightenment that came to him. This feeling of less anxiety was so strong, in fact, that he unblocked a lot of people that he was worried were giving him nasty comments.

A few things happened today that would usually elicit a small sense of fear in me. I didn't feel emotional distressed at all.

There is this one person (different scenario) that gives me a dirty look whenever they see me. It used to really frustrate me and it used to give me real negative thoughts about them. In the last two days, though, it didn't bother me at all - literally not one bit. I actually smile at them now and want to greet them as warmly as possible.

I feel as if I've matured emotionally over the last two days. Small things don't bother me anymore. It is almost as if fasting has given me some mental clarity and a brand new perspective (and I'm only on day 4!).

Why does such a strong sense of calm and relaxation take over us during a fast? Dr. Mindy Pelz explains that certain brain chemicals are released during a fast that greatly benefits the mind.

1. Growth hormone can increase by up to 1300% from 12 hours into a fast
2. Ketones that heal the brain are created 13-15 hours into a fast
3. BDNF (brain fertilizer) and serotonin increase dramatically from 24 hours into a fast
4. Inflammation reduces throughout the body at 24 hours
5. GABA production (which initiates a sense of calm) goes up from the 36th to 48th hour
6. Neurons regenerate at this time as well
7. Dopamine receptor sites are re-calibrated from around the third day of fasting.

Fasting is good for your brain.

Check out my experience from my first day of fasting.

Learn about my second fasting day.

Read about my third day of fasting.

Here are the effects 24 hours after I end my water fast.

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Amazing benefits of peach for skin

Peach is the one of best fruits to keep your skin healthy. It is also used in many skincare products. Peach is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, phytonutrients and dietary fibers. These essential nutrients are best for our skin and health. Not just beneficial for your your skin, peach is effective against many health problems like cancer, stress, and heart diseases. You can eat a peach or add it to fruit salad to get its benefits. You can also make a face mask of peach.

Nutritional information of peaches

100 grams of a peach contains:

• 39 Calories
• 0.3g of Fat
• 0.9g (1% of daily value) of Protein
• 1.5 g of Fiber
• 11% of daily value of Vitamin C
• 6% of daily value of Vitamin A
• 1% of daily value of Iron
• 8g of Sugar
• 2% of daily value of Magnesium
• 190 mg of Potassium

Peach benefits for skin

Reduces wrinkles

Peach is rich in vitamin C. Sun exposure to the skin cause wrinkles. Vitamin C in the skin can reduce wrinkles. Vitamin C promotes the production of an essential protein called collagen (a structural protein found in the skin that connects tissues) in the skin. Peach tightens the skin pores and makes it smooth and soft. That’s why peach is used in anti-aging face masks. It also reduces dark spots and blemishes.

Heals your skin

Peach repairs the damaged tissue of skin because it is rich in proteins. Peach is effective against bruises and cuts on the skin. Proteins in the peach fight against skin infections. Peach also rebuilds the tissues that are damaged because of an infection. If you have cuts or bruises and you want it to heal faster, start eating a peach and you will feel the difference.

Good for dry skin

As mentioned earlier, peach is best to regenerate the skin tissues. To get rid of dry skin, make a paste by mixing peach and yogurt. Apply on the face for 20 minutes and then wash with cold water. This mask of peach and yogurt will moisturize your skin and make it soft. You can rub peach juice on your skin to make it glow. You can also use it on oily skin to improve it.

Protects from sun rays

Peach protects your skin from ultraviolet radiation. It contains many vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, beta carotene, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. These nutrients stimulate the production of a pigment called melanin in the body. This pigment protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation. You can rub the peel of a peach on your skin to prevent damage caused of the sun’s rays. Or when you are back home after the scorching heat of summer, you can boil peach, mash it with a fork and apply it on your face. It will cleanse your skin.

Prevents premature aging

One of the best benefits of peach is that it prevents premature aging. Vitamin A in peaches promotes skin health and makes your skin glow. As mentioned earlier, vitamin C reduces wrinkles on the skin by stimulating the production of collagen. It also minimizes premature wrinkling. It improves skin texture, protects skin from toxins and prevents skin from premature aging.

Reduces inflammation

If you have any inflammatory disease, then peach is the best fruit for you. Add peach to your diet to curb inflammation. Vitamin C in peach has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties that can cure diseases like gout and rheumatism. Researchers have shown that vitamin C cures inflammation by up to 45 percent.

Face mask of peach

You can make a peach mask at your home

Ingredients

Ingredients you need for the peach mask are:
• I tablespoon mashed peach
• One tablespoon yogurt

Instructions

• Take mashed peach and yogurt.
• Add both ingredients in a bowl.
• While mixing make sure that it is well mixed, don’t make it too thick.
• Apply this mask on your face with the help of a brush.
• Apply it for 10-15 minutes.
• Then wash the face with warm water.

Conclusion

Peach is the best fruit to make your skin healthy. Many skin products are available in the market, but instead of making your skin healthy, the harmful chemicals in these products may harm your skin. So if you are suffering from any skin issue, start using peach. You can eat it directly or you can make a face mask of peach.

Saad Shah

My name is Saad Shah. I am an avid food lover and food nutrition blogger. I'm a firm believer in the transforming powers of food. I run a nutrition blog nutritionride to encourage conscious food choices, with knowledge of their nutritional value.

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